Control of Foodborne Pathogens by Hops Beta Acids in Food Systems

Foodborne pathogens are major concerns and a biological hazard for raw or ready-to-eat (RTE) meat products in the US. There is growing interest in consumers to purchase food products containing natural antimicrobials to control foodborne pathogens. Hops beta acids (HBAs) are the major constituents of hops acids from hops flowers. The primary active components of HBAs are lupulone (C27H38O4), colupulone (C26H37O4), and adlupulone (C27H38O4), which have the ability to exert antimicrobial activity against microorganisms. HBAs are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and US Department of Agriculture-Food Safety and Inspection Services (USDA-FSIS) for use as a generally recognized as safe (GRAS) antimicrobial agent on cooked meat. This chapter provides detailed summaries of antimicrobial activities of HBAs in food systems including broth solution, meat, dairy products, fresh produce, bread, their impact on food quality and sensory characteristics. This information is useful for food processors in the development of operational procedures for applying HBAs to decontaminate foodborne pathogens on food products, especially on RTE meats.